Should the subordinate courts have more power?

by Ding Jo-Ann | The Nut Graph
WHY has there been such a furore over the government’s amendment of the Subordinate Courts Act? And why should the public care that the Act has been amended?
As a result of Parliament passing the amendment, the Sessions Court can now hear civil cases worth up to RM1 million while the Magistrates Court cases worth up to RM100,000. This represents a four-fold increase from their previous jurisdictions.

Lim Chee Wee (source: malaysianbar.org.my)

Bar Council vice-president Lim Chee Wee called for the amendments to be delayed pending a proper study on its impact. Lim also pointed out that the increase in amounts meant that lower court judges would be hearing more complex cases, previously reserved for High Court judges. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, however, said the amendments merely took into account inflation and did not change very much.
Both sides have valid points. A sudden jump in jurisdiction would surely shunt many cases from the High Court to the Sessions Court and from the Sessions Court to the Magistrates Court. The lower courts may well have trouble coping with the increased workload. Having said that, increases in jurisdiction, in 1987 and again in 1994, did not have any serious ill-effects.
But there are other underlying issues with the lower courts that the recent amendments do not address. If these issues are not looked into, whatever doubts that existed about the lower courts before the amendments would only be compounded by the increase in their power. Hence, the question that needs to be answered is, should the sessions and magistrates courts have been granted additional powers to hear cases of higher amounts?
Quality of judgments
Unlike High Court judges who must have at least 10 years experience before being appointed, there is no such minimum requirement under the Federal Constitution or Subordinate Courts Act for lower court judges. Sessions court judges and magistrates are appointed from the Judicial and Legal Service (JLS), which is effectively part of the executive. Fresh law graduates can technically be appointed magistrates, although internal guidelines require Sessions Court judges to have served for about eight years before being appointed. JLS officers are not required to complete their pupillage or have any practical experience in a law firm before joining.

It is not uncommon to find judges confused about court procedures and legal arguments (© Cory Thoman | Dreamstime)

This system differs from the practice of other countries where the majority of judges are appointed from amongst lawyers. In the UK, for example, district judges, who perform a similar function to Malaysian session court judges, must have practised in court for at least seven years. Having practised as a lawyer helps ensure judges are familiar with court procedure and legal arguments.
It is of course possible for a hardworking and bright JLS officer to “learn on the job” and become experienced with time. Having said that, many lower court judges, even senior ones, unfortunately display their lack of practical experience on the bench.
Decisions are often delivered simply by them saying “case dismissed” or “claim allowed”, without any analysis of how the decision was arrived at. It is also not uncommon to see judges confused about the rules of evidence, correct procedure, and legal concepts. At times, time-consuming written submissions have to be filed to clarify a simple matter for the judge.
It is therefore all well and good for Nazri to say that the amendments were merely on account of inflation. But what will be done to improve the quality of these judges who now have additional powers? Especially since Sessions Court judges can now decide on injunctions and make declarations which can have wide-ranging effects on businesses and individuals?
Independence

Abdul Gani (© agc.gov.my)

Another major area of concern is the independence of JLS officers. JLS officers answer to the Judicial and Legal Service Commission. The commission consists of, amongst others, the Public Services Commission chairperson and the Attorney-General (AG), who advises the government on legal matters and represents it in legal disputes. JLS officers often get transferred between departments in the AG’s Chambers and could also serve, for instance, as public prosecutors or in the drafting division.
Although the AG’s Chambers is supposed to be independent of the government, its’ officers salary scale, ranking and promotion are identical to that of civil servants. It would therefore not be surprising if lower court judges develop a civil servant mentality. This opens them up to the possibility of bias when hearing evidence from “fellow” civil servants or cases involving the government.

Edmund Bon

It is also a cause of concern that the AG is effectively the boss of Sessions Court judges and magistrates. This issue is compounded when the AG himself appears in the lower courts. This occurred for example, when lawyer and then Bar Council human rights committee chairperson Edmund Bon was arrested in December 2007. Bon had allegedly tried to prevent a police officer from removing a banner hung in conjunction with the 9 December Human Rights Day celebrations.
AG Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail himself appeared before Sessions Court judge Komathy Suppiah to argue that Bon should be denied bail. Judge Komathy disagreed with her superior’s arguments in that instance and freed Bon on bail. Nevertheless, the possibility of influence from the AG was real, and still remains.
Fixed costs
There are other issues that need to be dealt with in the lower courts, such as the fixed scale for costs, which has not been similarly adjusted for inflation. A successful plaintiff in a RM100,000 claim for example, would only receive about RM7,000 in costs under the scale, plus disbursements.
A defendant with deep pockets could well afford to drag out a case for years to wear down the plaintiff. Even if the defendant loses, the costs awarded to the plaintiff would hardly be prohibitive. Similarly, a plaintiff with a frivolous suit can still afford to sue as even if the suit was unsuccessful, costs would still be relatively low.
This is unlike in the High Court where costs are not awarded by a fixed scale and tend to be much higher. The low-costs award is likely to result in cases which should have been settled or never been brought at all languishing in court, contributing to the backlog.
Govt’s intention
Improving the court system will not happen overnight. Indeed, measures need to be taken step by step. The government, however, could have chosen to deal with other aspects of the lower courts that really need improvement. For example, the quality and independence of judges.
However, these aspects, although crucial, require harder work and political will on our government’s part to restore complete independence to the judiciary. The fact that the government has focused instead on a monetary increase of jurisdiction, without adequate consultation and study, draws a question mark on whether our leaders are serious about reforming the courts.

What Anwar’s Trial Means For Malaysia

From Wall Street Journal
By JOHN R. MALOTT

A guilty verdict would be a serious step backwards for this aspiring Muslim democracy.

The trial of Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s opposition leader and his nation’s best-known and most respected international figure, is scheduled to resume this week in Kuala Lumpur.

The Malaysian press dubs the affair “Sodomy II,” for it appears to be a repeat of the Muslim democrat’s 1998-99 trials, when he was convicted on corruption and sexual charges. Sentenced to 15 years in prison, Mr. Anwar later had his conviction overturned, and he was released after six years in solitary confinement.

I was the U.S. ambassador to Malaysia when Mr. Anwar first was arrested and put on trial, and everything I knew then and know now leads me to conclude that this trial also is an attempt to sideline him politically.

Already convicted by the government-controlled media, Mr. Anwar and his defense team have been denied access to the evidence that the government possesses, including police and medical reports, surveillance tapes, and even the witness list. Malaysia does not have a jury system. The verdict will be rendered by one judge, appointed by the same government that wants to remove Mr. Anwar from the political scene.

While a handful of human rights groups and some Australian parliamentarians have condemned the trial, there has been little interest at the broader international level. The Obama administration has been silent.

When I visited Malaysia last month, it was clear that Mr. Anwar and most observers expect a guilty verdict in August. At that point, the question is whether he remains free on bail during his appeal or is jailed immediately.

A charismatic campaigner, Mr. Anwar led his coalition to near victory in Malaysia’s last parliamentary elections in 2008, when the opposition took 47% of the popular vote and gained 62 seats. The government’s new political game plan seems to be to put Mr. Anwar in jail and the opposition in disarray, call snap elections, and ride to victory.

Today Malaysia gets little attention in the world press. The lingering image is of an Asian economic success story, a moderate Islamic country and aspiring democracy, and a multiracial society in which harmony prevails. Unfortunately, that is not the case today. Malaysia is a nation adrift.

Once one of the world’s dynamos, Malaysia’s economy has underperformed over the past decade, with an average annual growth rate of 4.5%. Much of that growth was the result of government spending, which has pushed Malaysia’s debt level to 54% of GDP. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has remained relatively flat over the past 15 years, while flows into Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam have soared. To make matters worse, Malaysia experienced a net outflow of $6 billion in FDI capital in 2008.

Malaysia desperately needs to upgrade its skills base and innovation capabilities, but almost 500,000 Malaysians—nearly 2% of the population—left their country for good between 2007 and 2009. Malaysian experts believe most of these émigrés were skilled ethnic Chinese and Indian Malaysians, concerned by economic decline and growing racial and religious tensions.

Worried about losing political support, the ruling party has responded by appealing to the baser instincts of the country’s Malay Muslim majority. For example, it told Malaysia’s Christians that they may no longer use the word “Allah” for God, even though the word existed in Arabic long before Islam arose. A new militant group called Perkasa, which claims that Malay rights are under threat from the Chinese and Indian minorities, has won backing from former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and other members of the ruling party.

For Malaysia and the world, there is more at stake in Mr. Anwar’s trial than whether one person is convicted. Malaysia is at a crossroads. The road that it chooses matters not only for some 30 million Malaysians, but for the entire world. The country could be a model for the 600 million people of Southeast Asia and for the entire Muslim world, if it returns to the promising course it was on 15 years ago. But a guilty verdict for Mr. Anwar means that the corruption and cronyism that now pervade Malaysia, its lack of political freedom and its economic decline, will continue. The country’s non-Malay citizens will continue to seek a better haven overseas.

In 1998, Mr. Anwar said, “If this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.” That is no less true today. If Mr. Anwar is denied his freedom, then Malaysians will continue to be denied their freedom and the country its promise.

Permatang Tinggi PKR Branch Quit Party To Join Umno

BUKIT MERTAJAM, July 18 (Bernama) -- The Permatang Tinggi Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) branch was dissolved when its 56 members quit the party today to join Umno.

Its deputy chief Ismail Md Ali said they decided to join Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) as they had lost trust in the opposition party which they felt was not committed to the party's struggle.

"We are also fed up with PKR's sweet promises because until today, two years after winning the Machang Bubuk state seat, none of the promises made have been fulfilled," he told reporters after handing over their membership forms to join Umno to Bukit Mertajam division chief, Senator Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir, here.

According to Ismail, PKR members in Permatang Tinggi were also disappointed with the leadership of Machang Bubok assemblyman Tan Hock Leong who allegedly had not been going to the ground to meet the residents.

"Each time we invited Tan to meet the residents here, he would have an excuse and since winning the seat, he has not met the residents to listen to their problems," he claimed.

Ismail said they chose Umno as the platform to continue their struggle as they had confidence in the party led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Meanwhile, Musa said the decision by Ismail and his fellow former PKR members to quit the party and join Umno was a wise move for the good of the Malay community in the state.

"Umno welcomes their entry. To date, members from three more PKR branches in the Bukit Mertajam area have discussed with me and informed their intention to dissolve their branches.

"They have chosen to join Umno as they are fed up with the PKR leadership of placing self-interest above the grassroots'," he said.

Musa, however, declined to reveal which PKR branches would be joining Umno but said that about 300 PKR members from the area would quit the party soon.

Catholics continue to wait for Allah

The Malaysian Insider 
by Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 – The Catholic Church won the constitutional right to print the word “Allah” in its newspaper seven months ago but a government application to stay the ruling could delay its use for a while longer.

The Court of Appeal has yet to indicate when it is taking any step to move the case along but retired jurists say it can’t take very long while a lawyer said it could take up to two years to get a hearing.

Appellate and trial division chief from the Attorney-General’s Chambers Datuk Kamaludin Md Said has confirmed that the Court of Appeal has yet to set a hearing date for the appeal.

“Nothing yet, nothing yet, nothing yet,” the government lawyer sounded exasperated when asked about the court status.

Kamaludin is the senior federal counsel representing the home ministry in the “Allah” dispute where the High Court here ruled last December 31 that the Catholic Church has a constitutional right to publish the word “Allah” to refer to God outside the Islamic context.

The Home Ministry — which had imposed the word ban on The Herald two years ago — has got a stay against the judgment pending its appeal while the Church — noting the spate of attacks on houses of worship nationwide earlier this year — agreed not to challenge the stay application.

“We’ve already filed the record of appeal so it’s up to the court to fix the date,” he stressed repeatedly.

Lack of any action at the Palace of Justice is doing little to dispel the public suspicion at the prolonged stay order.

The Church refused to comment on whether it was taking any action to speed their case along.

Former High Court judge, Datuk Syed Ahmad Idid Syed Abdullah, told The Malaysian Insider he has not heard of an indefinite stay being granted during his time on the bench.

“I’ve not heard of an indefinite stay... In my experience, the courts are venues to give finality to disputes,” said the man who quit the judiciary 14 years ago, after his 33-page letter alleging several senior judges of being on the take leaked out to the public.

“But the laws may have changed since I left the court,” he added.

A former law practitioner suggested that an indefinite stay would amount to an injunction, which is against the practices of the court.

“Meaning the Church would be prohibited from using it,” said the retiree, requesting anonymity.

He explained that under normal circumstances, the party that is appealing a judgment could get a stay order, but the appellate court should also set a time frame for the next step to ensure fair play is given to both sides.

A stay is granted to provide time for the party to file further action, and the court has the right to decide on a reasonable amount of time it would take to prepare the necessary papers.

For the “Allah” appeal to have gone on for six months without any court proceeding taking place was “very unreasonable”.

“There must be a proceeding in court,” he stressed, even if the government were to tell the judges there were other similar cases pending in the High Court and it would be better to wait for them to be finalised there and then heard one-shot.

Bar Council vice-president Lim Chee Wee, agreed that an indefinite stay meant a permanent stay, but said such a thing existed.

“Yes, there is such a thing. Usually, it’s granted pending the winding up of a company facing insolvency. “It’s very rare outside of that,” he said.

But Lim noted that in the “Allah” dispute, the home ministry’s stay was the type “pending the outcome of an appeal” and admitted “there’s no fixed time for hearing”.

“It would depend on the court diary,” he added.

Other law experts confided that the Catholic Church’s only recourse would be administrative, based on the present circumstances.

One advised the counsel for the Church to write in to the Court of Appeal to remind the registry of the pending case.

Lim appeared optimistic that the appellate court would deal with the “Allah” dispute in due time.

“Our courts are quite efficient these days. It should be heard within two years,” he said.

43 killed in Baghdad attack

Baghdad, Iraq -- A suicide bomber killed at least 43 people and wounded 40 others in an attack outside Baghdad on Sunday morning, police said.

The attacker targeted members of the Awakening Council -- former Sunni militants now in the pay of the Iraqi government -- as they waited to receive paychecks, police said.

A second suicide bomber hit an Awakening Council office in the town of al-Qaem, on the Iraqi-Syrian border, killing three and injuring six, an Iraqi official said. The attack also took place Sunday morning.

And another person was killed and three were hurt when a bomb attached to a car went off in northeastern Baghdad later on Sunday, police officials said.

Awakening Council members, also known as Sons of Iraq, are credited with helping bring down violence in Iraq in the past two years. They are a frequent target of anti-government militants.

Iraq continues to see almost daily violence, but it has been some time since so many people were killed in a single incident.

At least 66 people were killed in more than half-a-dozen attacks on Shiite pilgrims on July 7-8.

Govt to conduct survey on Indian community in estates

KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Affairs Department (Jasa) will carry out a survey on the Indian community living in estates, starting with Selangor.

Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim said the survey, will would begin shortly, was aimed at understanding the community better.

"We have often heard that the Indian community in dire needs of help but we cannot see it through the present window of the society and do something about it.

"We want to see this survey open several windows of new understanding on how we can interact and improve their way of life in the estates," he told reporters after launching the Rapat 1Malaysia campaign at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Devasthanam Square in Batu Caves here today.

Rais said Jasa would submit the survey findings and recommendations of what needed to be done to improve the standard of living of the community to the government.

To Merdeka Centre's findings on rise in confidence from the Indian community to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's leadership, Rais said the government machinery should not get too complacent with the results of the survey.

"What should we do after this is to get the people's touch, that is we see how the relationship between the community with government policies strikes an understanding or becoming really friendly.

"1Malaysia should be translated not only through rhetoric or narrative but also through our treatment of the people," he said.

On the carnival, he said the event, which was held with the participation of 45 non-governmental organisations, was a success as it drew a large turnout.

"This evening we see the Indian community is actually a community which always cooperate with government departments in working towards the transition and transformation of their lives," he said.

- Bernama

'Forgotten' tribes left behind by development

 

 By M Jegathesan - Free Malaysia Today,

KAMPUNG BERTANG LAMA: Just a few hours from the glittering Malaysian capital is a pitiful scene of hungry children and desperate parents, in an indigenous village home to the "forgotten Malaysians".
Naked youngsters with the tell-tale signs of malnourishment - bulging stomachs and brown tinged hair - sit listlessly in a hut, while others cling to their mothers as they suckle milk.

Welcome to Bertang Lama village, home of some of Malaysia's Semai people, an indigenous tribe mired in poverty and struggling to adapt as the multicultural nation races towards modernity.

The village, which houses about 300 people, is located close to Cheroh, a small town in central Pahang that sits along the Titiwangsa mountains which form the backbone of Peninsula Malaysia.

The Semai, once nomadic but now largely settled, are seeking recognition of their traditional land rights as well as basic needs - piped water, electricity, medicine, education and tarred roads.
Known for their tracking skills
There is little food in the village where families live a subsistence life, hunting and gathering to trade in jungle products like rattan and agarwood.

Neither is there much money, as the forest they depend on is fast being depleted of its resources thanks to deforestation caused by logging, and the rapid expansion of rubber and palm oil plantations.

There are an estimated 45,000 Semai in Peninsular Malaysia, among some 150,000 indigenous people divided among 19 linguistic groups who live on the country's mainland.

Colin Nicholas, coordinator of the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns, said the people of Bertang Lama and others like them have become "the forgotten and invisible Malaysians".

Nicholas said the Semai played a valuable role in the British offensive against communist insurgents in the 1950s due to their stealth and tracking skills, but are now seen as irrelevant.

"Come elections, ruling party politicians make promises in exchange for votes but after that they renege on their words. Because of their small population, they are easily ignored by the government," he told AFP.

"The indigenous people have been pushed to the brink. Their situation will only get worse. After nearly 53 years of independence, the government is in a state of denial."

Invisible people
Not all Semai or Orang Asli people are impoverished, and some communities, particularly those located closer to urban infrastructure, have done much better in terms of education, employment and health.

But the plight of Bertang Lama village was highlighted when Lim Ka Ea, an executive officer with the Malaysian Bar Council visited recently and recounted her shock at the scene there in a newspaper article.

"The Orang Asli have been regarded as invisible by many people," she told AFP.

"What we do see in them is their 'primitive' form of lifestyle and the entrenched stereotype that they serve no purpose to the advancement of our nation except to make our tourism advertisements look exotic and attractive."

In the village, 11-year-old Jolisa returns home from the forest, armed with a machete and a bamboo basket on her back as she skips along with three other barefoot friends.

"We went looking for wild vegetables," she says.

"Yes I would like to go to school if there was one in our village," she replies with a smile to a visitor's question.

'Life is difficult'
Nearby, inside a dilapidated hut, a naked two-year-old child with mucus dripping from his nose and an expressionless face holds a bowl containing only mashed tapioca, a flavorless starch, for his breakfast.

The chidren are mostly illiterate, and mostly hungry as their families can only provide them with vegetables and tapioca sourced from the jungle.

The village is located just 11 kilometers from a main road but it is a tedious drive along an unsealed logging track.

"We sell rattan, bamboo and agarwood sourced from the forest. But it is hard to find them now," says Yoke Ham, a 47-year-old father of 12 children who says his ancestors settled here hundreds of years ago.

"The average income per month is less than RM300," he adds, as crying babies drown out the chirp of insects.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is striving for Malaysia to achieve developed-nation status by 2020, earlier this month assured all Malaysians that no one will be left behind.

"I promise you, as prime minister I will be fair to everybody. We will help all communities to move forward. We will make Malaysia a high-income country," he said.

But the lofty goals mean little to Robina, who looks in her thirties but does not know her age. She holds her sick three-year-old daughter, Sinar, on her lap and appeals for help as tears roll down her face.

"My child has a fever. I have no money to buy food and rice for her," she says. "We have not had our breakfast yet. Life is difficult."

- AFP

Wives of elected reps told to ensure husbands do their jobs

By Charlie Rudai - Free Malaysia Today

KOTA KINABALU: The wives of Barisan Nasional (BN) elected representatives have been given a special task by Prime Minister Najib Tin Razak - checking whether their husbands are doing their jobs.

He told this a group of women in Sabah on Saturday that they should ensure their husbands discharge their responsibilities to their respective constituencies and voters.

“We can say that the core business of wives of elected representatives is to become the partner (of their spouse) not only in managing domestic affairs properly but also to meet the need of the husbands.

“If all this has been managed well the husbands can do their job better as elected representatives or a members of the government,” Najib told a closed three-day meeting of the wives of BN elected representatives hosted by the Sabah government at a hotel here Saturday,

Najib, who is also the BN chairman, said for elected representatives their most important responsibility is to work wholeheartedly that they are loved by their constituents.

“If we can relate this core business (of elected representatives) with the core business of wives (of elected representatives) only then we will be able to carry out our duties better,” he said.

The Prime Minister also urged welfare bodies set up by the wives of elected representatives to assist the government identify social issues like poverty eradication, pollution and social ills.

Najib thanked the state government for hosting the Bakisa (Sabah Assemblymen Wives Welfare Body), event in a grand manner.

Rosmah slipped
Earlier, the Prime Minister's wife Rosmah Mansor caused a slight commotion when she slipped and fell on while descending from the stage after delivering her speech as the President of Bakti (Welfare Body for Wives of Federal Ministers and Deputy Ministers and Barisan Nasional MP).

She had just delivered a speech that lasted more than 40 minutes at the closing ceremony of the wives of BN elected representatives annual programme when she fell that drew a loud scream and gasps from those gathered.

Rosmah did not hide her anger to her bodyguard who failed to catch her hand as she was slipping. In front of the packed ballroom in a major resort and spa here, once she picked herself up, pulled away from her bodyguard and refused to be guided by the back to her seat.

She also waved her finger crossly at her female bodyguard as though rebuking and blaming her for letting her fall.

Musa, who was about to deliver his speech after Rosmah, stopped for about five minutes as Najib, Musa and other dignitaries at the VVIP tables checked on Rosmah. Other wives of the elected representatives sitting near the main table also went to see her.

After indicating that she was fine with a smile, Musa made his way to the rostrum but stopped at the place where Rosmah had fallen and scratched the surface of the staircase with his shoe.

“True it is very slippery,” he said before proceeding with his speech.

However, her husband Najib did not touch on the matter when he went to deliver his speech to close the annual programme.

Najib took just over 15 minutes to deliver his closing speech as he said “my wife has said all that I wanted to say”.

Old world of cinema halls and bubbling excitement

By Sim Kwang Yang - Free Malaysia Today

FEATURE The most exciting event of the week in those long gone, bad old days was going to the movies. Nowadays, there is nothing extraordinary about going to the movies any more. Every household has a DVD player and television set, and watching a movie is such a routine activity in our daily lives that we think nothing of it, and take it for granted.
Growing up in 1960s in Kuching, before all these electronic gadgets made their appearance, going to the movies at the weekend was the high point of our social and entertainment life for the entire week.

That was because going to the movies was the only entertainment at the mass level available to the people. It was the cheapest and most easily available distraction and escape from living the tedium of a stultifying life.

Film shows were cheap enough then, costing as little as 30 sen per ticket for the matinee morning film. The regular show cost a mere ringgit, if my memory serves me right.

But even such cheap entertainment was beyond our means and we poor young children used to devise all kinds of ingenious methods to attend the show free of charge.

One common practice was to wait patiently at the entrance, so that we children could ask any prospective customer to sponsor our passage at the door - the kind ‘jaga pintu’ would wave us through if we went in the movie house with a paying adult.

When we entered the cinema, we would just sit anywhere in the movie house. I attended many free movies that way.

Alternatively, there were many other ways by which we children could raise money to feed our movie habit.

During that time, castaway empty soft drink bottles and tin drums held good value for collection and sale to a ‘Botoot man’, who went around households calling out “Botoot! Botoot!” for homeowners to sell them used tins and bottles.

Coloured bottles could fetch us one sen each and an empty drum could bring in the princely sum of 10 sen.

The man bought the tin drums to cut into small tin-strips for latex to flow down and collect when hung next to a rubber tree trunk.

This ‘Botoot man’ was the most welcome visitor to our household and years later, I recall there was a touching movie on the life of such a ‘Botoot man’ with the title, ‘Jiu Kang Tang Bui Bo’.

Modern moviegoers will have little idea of what it was like to watch a film in the movie theatre in those days.

Important talking point
Those movie houses were gigantic cavernous structures capable of housing quite a few hundred moviegoers. Sitting in the dark in front of the giant screen was a most captivating experience in itself, as if you could be sucked bodily into the story of the talking picture. It was not like going to our modern cineplexes with their small screens.

One unique thing about going to the cinema in Kuching was the strength of audience participation. Members of the audience were so absorbed in the unfolding drama that they made all kinds of involuntary noises in response to what was going on, on the big screen up.

Let’s say, the villain was sneaking up behind the heroin trying to stab her in the back, while she was completely unaware of the impending danger. Inevitably, a member of the audience would shout out from the darkness of the hall, “Jaga Belakang!”

When a sad movie got really teary, all the kind-hearted ladies in the hall would be shedding tears, shaking their heads, going “tsk…tsk…” to express their sympathy for the heroine.

The greatest drawback to the enjoyment of a good movie was for somebody who had seen the movie once before to tell his friend loudly what the next scene would be like. This would draw an explosion of protests from the audience, trying to hush down the unsavoury individual.

I enjoyed many of my childhood movies that way and my favourite films were the Westerns.

I have seen the movie ‘Gunfight At OK Corral’ many times. Living in multi-racial Malaysia, I counted myself lucky to have enjoyed films in many languages, including the Malay films of P Ramlee such as ‘Bujang Lapok’, and the Chinese movies produced in large numbers from Hong Kong.

That was about the time when Japanese Samurai movies were the craze with moviegoers.

Until today I consider the great Japanese film-maker, Akira Kurosawa, a sheer genius in storytelling and I watched all of his Samurai movies, starring Toshiro Mifune, with great appreciation and satisfaction. At the same time, the Japanese put out a long series of Samurai films starring this blind swordsman.

Movies were important in our lives because they constituted an important talking point throughout the week.

We children would discuss the plot for days on end, sometimes play-acting parts of the movie with sticks in place of guns, in playing out the gunfight scenes.

Whenever we young friends met outside the movie house, we would ask one another, “Have you seen the latest John Wayne movie yet?”

Looking back, I would say the appearance of the television set signalled the end of the era of the movie houses.

Soon after coloured television came to Sarawak, the traditional movie houses died a natural death. Meanwhile, with the change of lifestyle in Kuching city, watching movies is no longer such a major preoccupation as before, as the computer has taken the central position in most Malaysian households.

For entertainment value alone, even the television is no match for the computer game.

The big wide world has changed and the movies can never recapture our imagination as in our olden, simpler days.

They now live only in the memories of us older generations of Malaysians, the many happy, exciting moments of our cinema-going days.

[This article first appeared in mysarawak.org]

Najib: Umno open to unity talks with PAS

(Bernama) - Umno is open to having discussions with PAS on Malay unity but such talks must be held without any preconditions, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday.

“We (Umno) are always open but they (PAS leaders) must not impose preconditions and insult Umno in their speeches. If we want to talk, we must not condemn each other,” the Umno president told reporters after attending a luncheon with Sabah Chinese community leaders in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Najib was asked to comment on a statement by Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria yesterday that some Umno and PAS leaders have approached him recently to seek his opinion on how best to unite the Muslims.

Harussani had gone on to explain that he was not a politician and could not make a decision in the matter.

Najib said Umno have maintained its stand on the proposed talks but it appeared that PAS had other considerations and wanted to include the issue of oil royalty claimed by Kelantan in the discussions.
“It is up to PAS to determine its stand. We do not want to keep repeating the matter,” he said.

Splitting hairs

In that sense the Malays are simpler. As long as you speak the Malay language, profess Islam, and practice Malay culture, you are Malay. Malays would not look beyond that. The Chinese and Indians will not stop there. You must also be Hakka or Tamil or whatever.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

PKR group says Sivarasa’s inability to speak Tamil a liability

There are rumblings on the ground about PKR vice-president R. Sivarasa’s inability to speak Tamil – and this may be a liability for the leader in the party elections at the end of the year.

Some grassroots leaders have openly expressed their wish for Sivarasa to be voted out because they are unhappy he cannot communicate effectively with Indians who did not have a good grasp of English.

They want either Kapar MP S. Manickavasagam or Padang Serai MP N. Gobalakrishan to contest for the post.

Bukit Beruntung/Bukit Sentosa Indian Community Association vice-president N. Nadaraja said the post should be held by a leader who could speak fluently in Tamil.

“We want an Indian leader who can communicate with us effectively to highlight our grouses to the top leaders.

“Sivarasa could not even communicate with the old folk in the estates because he can only say simple words like nandri (thank you) and vanakam (greetings),” he said.

Sivarasa, also the Subang MP, is of Ceylonese descent.

Nadaraja, also a PKR member, said they would nominate Manickavasagam to contest the position.

Nadaraja added that they were also dissatisfied with Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar for a similar reason.

Meanwhile an on-line news portal reported that 40 Indian leaders had met party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to express their dissatisfaction over Sivarasa’s inability to speak Tamil.

The group lobbied for Gobalakrishan to take up the post.

Sivarasa, when contacted, said a language handicap should not be regarded as a communication barrier in a multi-racial society.

“Furthermore PKR is a multi-racial party, and its leaders are obligated to serve all the people regardless of their racial background.

“Not being able to speak a certain language is not an issue,” he said.

Sivarasa said even though he could not speak Tamil, fellow party comrades Gobalakrishnan, Manickavasagam, Dr Xavier, M. Ravi, S. Kesavan and S. Manikumar had good links with the Indian grassroots.

“We practise collective leadership in the party. We take care of all communities,’’ he said. -- The Star

***************************************

I once had a discussion with a Hindraf leader about his movement needing to broaden its struggle to make it more Malaysian and less Indian. My argument was based on the fact that there are as many poor Malays, Chinese, Orang Asli, and natives of East Malaysia as there are Indians.

After all, I added, we must look at the bigger picture. Granted there are many extremely poor Indians. But the richest man in Malaysia, Anandakrishnan, is also an Indian. So it is not like all Indians are poor. And I personally know many Indians who are very wealthy. Bangsar alone is ‘infested’ with many wealthy Indians. And why are these wealthy Indians not contributing to the Indian community or supporting the Hindraf cause?

I mean; you whack the Malays for not supporting Hindraf. But the wealthy Indians themselves are not supporting Hindraf. Should not charity start at home? And when the Malays see that the Indians of means are not concerned about the poor Indians or supportive of Hindraf then you can’t fault the Malays for being ‘slow’ in rallying to the side of the Indians.

I was then asked a question. Do you regard Anandakrishnan as an Indian? I was taken aback for a while. Of course I regard him as an Indian. That is the trouble, came the reply. He is not an Indian. And then I was enlightened as to what ‘race’ he is (I can’t remember what it was….Ceylonese or Keralan or Gujerati or whatever).

I can see that this is not just a Hindraf view. It is also the view of the Indians in PKR. Sivarasa is not an Indian. He is Ceylonese and does not speak Tamil. So he is not Indian enough and should not be regarded as an Indian leader. An Indian leader must be a Tamil speaking person and one who celebrates Deepavali and not Christmas or Hari Raya.

This brings me back to Kuala Terengganu of the 1970s. Terengganu has eight Parliament seats and 32 state seats. 31 of the state seats are Umno while only one, Bandar, is a MCA seat. There are no MIC seats. And all eight Parliament seats are Umno as well.

But MIC had two branches in Kuala Terengganu, even though it has no state seat, while MCA, which has the solitary non-Malay seat, has only one branch. And, back in the 1970s, MIC had only 80 members as opposed to MCA, which had thousands. (I am not sure of the statistics today).

The reason why the mere 80 MIC members had two branches is because one was led by K. Raj, a Tamil-speaking Hindu, and the other was led by Victor Isaacs, an English-speaking Christian.

The 80 MIC members were basically divided into two camps. One was the Tamil-speaking Hindu camp and the other the English-speaking Christian camp. Being Indian is not enough to unite them. They had to speak the same language and worship the same God as well.

In the recent General Election, Jeff Ooi was supposed to contest in Selangor. The problem though is that the seat he was offered had a majority Hakka population. So the people there did not want him.

If DAP fielded Jeff Ooi then the voters were going to vote MCA. Jeff Ooi is a ‘banana’ they said -- yellow on the outside but white on the inside. But the voters would accept Ronnie Lui though, a fellow Hakka.

But Ronnie Liu had ‘invested’ many years in Pandamaran and the voters in Pandamaran wanted him to contest there. If they fielded anyone else other than Ronnie Liu then the voters were going to vote MCA.

Finally, Jeff Ooi was shifted to Penang while Ronnie Liu was retained in Pandamaran. I am not sure, though, whether the candidate fielded in the seat originally offered to Jeff Ooi is a fellow Hakka but I assume it must have been or else that seat would have fallen to MCA.

So this is not only an Indian problem. It is also a Chinese problem. Imagine the problem if the Malays also demanded that the candidate/leader must not only be a Malay but must be Bugis, Minangkabau, Boyan, Achinese, Manilamen, Javanese, Siamese, Arab, Pakistani, Bajau, Melanau, Mamak, etc., as well. The situation would be even more chaotic.

In that sense the Malays are simpler. As long as you speak the Malay language, profess Islam, and practice Malay culture, you are Malay. Malays would not look beyond that. The Chinese and Indians will not stop there. You must also be Hakka or Tamil or whatever.

The Indians and Chinese resent the Ketuanan Melayu and the first-class/second-class citizen status. They want all Malaysians to be treated equal. They want to be regarded as satu bangsa or one race and no such thing as Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera. But amongst themselves the Indians and Chinese still split hairs as to whether you are ‘proper’ Indian or Chinese or whether you are ‘my type’ of Indian or Chinese.

Before the Indians and Chinese can demand equal status they must first sort out their ‘internal issues’. When Indians and Chinese are not ready to regard themselves as ‘one race’ how can they expect the Malays to treat them as such? The Indians and Chinese still have the class or caste system within their own community. And they want the Malays to treat them as equal when they do not treat each other as equal?

Golf: Sivachandran Clinches Negeri Sembilan Masters Title

S. Sivachandran, the Negeri Sembilan Master Invitational Champion. Pic: Hamzah MD SomKUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- Rain on the final day of the Negeri Sembilan Masters Invitational 2010 did not damper S. Sivachandran's impressive performance.

According to the organiser, Sivachandran, 31, led from day one and was consistent throughout the week and with an eight-stroke advantage at the start of the final round, was hardly challenged.

In today's final round held at the Seremban International Golf Club (SIGC), he chalked up a three-under-par 69 for a total of 18-under 270 to win the title comfortably by 12 shots, becoming the first Malaysian player to win the event since its inception in 2005.

Sivachandran's four-day score was also a new championship record.

"Obviously I'm delighted to win especially since I'm the first local to win. My score of 18-under-par 270 is my personal best since I turned professional in 2006," said Sivachandran adding that the win today was a belated wedding present for him.

For his feat, Sivachandran pocketed RM78,500 and is the first Malaysian to win the championship. He received an additional RM10,000 bonus from Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

The win put him in the championship's winners circle that includes Toshiyuki Wasa from Japan (2005), M. Murugiah of Singapore (2006), the Philippines' Juvic Pagunsan (2007), Benjie Magada (2008) and Singapore's Lam Chih Bing in 2009.

Two other local players, Akhmal Tarmizee Nazari and Iain Steel ended their round sharing second placing with defending champion, Lam on six-under-par par 282, each earning RM36,250.

FINAL ROUND RESULTS: (Malaysians unless stated)

270 - S.Sivachandhran 66-66-69-69;

282 - Lam Chih Bing (SIN) 72-71-70-69,

Akhmal Tarmizee Nazari 68-70-73-71, Iain Steel 70-71-70-71;

283 - R. Nachimuthu 73-72-70-68, Airil Rizman Zahari 70-70-74-69, T.J. Kim (KOR) 70-73-67-73;

284 - Takafumi Kawane (JPN) 69-74-72-69, Nakul Vichitryuthasastr (THA)73-71-69-71, Pariya Junhasavasdikul (THA) 71-69-73-71.

Federal Government Will Try Secure Release Of Two Abducted Malaysians

KOTA KINABALU, July 18 (Bernama) -- The federal government will try and secure the release of two Malaysian seaweed farm workers who were abducted near Pulau Sebangkat in Sabah's east coast Semporna district, about six months ago.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the duo were in the custody of an outlawed group.

"There is nothing much the Philippine Government can do...we have to try and extricate them out by other means. There are somewhat constraints by the fact that this group is very much taking up arms," he told told reporters after attending a luncheon with the Sabah Chinese community leaders here Sunday.

Najib was asked to comment on steps taken by the federal government in collaboration with the Philippines, to free company manager Tsen Vui Chung, 41, and supervisor Lai Wing Chau, 33.

The duo worked for seaweed farming company Syarikat Dynasty Marine Farm.

On Feb 8, five people armed with rifles, pistol and machete, arrived in two boats and abducted Tsen and Lai.

The abductions occurred days after the United States Embassy in Malaysia issued a warden's alert to travellers and its citizens of heightened dangers to their safety on the east coast of Sabah.

No. 1 Nation in Sexy Web Searches? Call it Pornistan

AP Pakistan has banned content on more than a dozen websites because of offensive and blasphemous material. The Muslim country, which has laws on dress codes, ranks as the top country to proportionally search for certain sex-related terms.

(FOXnews) They may call it the "Land of the Pure," but Pakistan turns out to be anything but.

The Muslim country, which has banned content on at least 17 websites to block offensive and blasphemous material, is the world's leader in online searches for pornographic material, FoxNews.com has learned.

“You won’t find strip clubs in Islamic countries. Most Islamic countries have certain dress codes,” said Gabriel Said Reynolds, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Notre Dame. “It would be an irony if they haven’t shown the same vigilance to pornography.”

So here's the irony: Google ranks Pakistan No. 1 in the world in searches for pornographic terms, outranking every other country in the world in searches per person for certain sex-related content.

Pakistan is top dog in searches per-person for "horse sex" since 2004, "donkey sex" since 2007, "rape pictures" between 2004 and 2009, "rape sex" since 2004, "child sex" between 2004 and 2007 and since 2009, "animal sex" since 2004 and "dog sex" since 2005, according to Google Trends and Google Insights, features of Google that generate data based on popular search terms.

The country also is tops -- or has been No. 1 -- in searches for "sex," "camel sex," "rape video," "child sex video" and some other searches that can't be printed here.

Google Trends generates data of popular search terms in geographic locations during specific time frames. Google Insights is a more advanced version that allows users to filter a search to geographic locations, time frames and the nature of a search, including web, images, products and news.

Pakistan ranked No. 1 in all the searches listed above on Google Trends, but on only some of them in Google Insights.

“We do our best to provide accurate data and to provide insights into broad search patterns, but the results for a given query may contain inaccuracies due to data sampling issues, approximations, or incomplete data for the terms entered,” Google said in a statement, when asked about the accuracy of its reports.

The Embassy of Islamic Republic of Pakistan did not reply to a request for an interview.

In addition to banning content on 17 websites, including islamexposed.blogspot.com, Pakistan is monitoring seven other sites -- Google, Yahoo, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, MSN and Hotmail -- for anti-Islamic content, the Associated Press reported in June.

But it’s not to censor the Pakistani people, Reynolds said. It’s to shut out the rest of the world.

“[It] could lead to conversion, which would undermine the very order of the state,” he said. “Part of protecting the society is making sure that there is no way it could be undermined in terms of foreign influences.”

Pakistan temporarily banned Facebook in May when Muslim groups protested the “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” page, where users were encouraged to upload pictures of the Prophet Muhammad. The page remained on Facebook, but Pakistani users were unable to view it, said Andrew Noyes, manager of Facebook’s Public Policy Communication.

And while Pakistan is taking measures to prevent blasphemous material from being viewed by its citizens, pornographic material is “certainly” contradictory to Islam, too, Reynolds said.

The country’s punishment for those charged with blasphemy is execution, but the question remains what -- if anything -- can be done about people who search for porn on the Web.

“It’s a new phenomenon,” Reynolds said.

Heritage status hollow as Malay villages vanish

(Malaysiakini) The Penang government is being haunted by the ghost of rampant development projects approved by its predecessor, Gerakan, which is putting a damper on George Town's second anniversary as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

In particular, the Malay community complains that the heritage status is meaningless if its villages and culture is not preserved.

Malay Muslim cultural and religious experiences featured on Heritage Row, like the famous Majid Kapitan Keling and Penang Muslim Museum at Syed Alatas Mansion in Armenian Street, do little to help as Malay villages gradually vanish due to massive development creeping everywhere across the island.

Villagers from Kg Jalan Pokok Asam, who face eviction by developers at the end of September, are particularly upset.

They have expressed extreme dissatisfaction that the on-going Heritage celebrations is featuring mostly Chinese and Hindu temples, and fishing communities like the Koay Jetty, and ignoring the plight of their villages.

At a two-hour dialogue session with PAS state deputy chief Mujahid Yusof Rawa in a Jelutong surau on Thursday, the villagers lamented that the heritage celebrations held in July was 'meaningless' if it did not include the Malay villages.

“What does it mean by heritage if Malay villages are being eroded one by one? Even if Penang celebrates Heritage Day again next year, it holds no meaning for us,” said Zarus Yusof (left), a 47-year-old businessman who has lived in Jelutong all his life.

“Heritage is not just about buildings, it is the culture and soul of the people living in the state. There is no meaning to heritage if the Malays are divided,” he added.

Not a racial problem

Zarus said he was not being racist to raise the issue facing Malay villagers, as the ongoing development projects would eventually affect the other communities as well, robbing them of their homes and disrupting their lives.

“We have to preserve our villages. That is the bottom line. We are not against development, relocate us but allow us to live in the same area, with reasonable housing facilities,” he added.

Another villager, Mohamad Idaham (left), warned that suraus, mosques,and cemeteries being provided for village folks risk becoming white elephants as the Malay community shrinks by the day.

“Who will go and pray if they are no more Malay communities in this area? No matter how you make the mosque, surau or cemeteries bigger, none of this means anything if there are no Malay families left to use them,” he complained.

Idaham appeared a little uncomfortable with the presence of PAS, although he admitted supporting the Opposition in the last general election.

He said the group preferred to be non-partisan when pleading their case, and would meet any group who were willing to help them resolve their eviction woes.

“It's difficult if we were to rely on political parties to help us. It can cause problems because even though we live in the same kampung, we all have different political allegiances,” he said after the meeting.

BN legacy

The group is demanding the developer to compensate them with a RM120,000 double storey house or a RM75,000 unit with three rooms per family.

However, they insist that they be relocated in the same area Jelutong, where they have lived since birth.

Jelutong parliamentarian Jeff Ooi (right) recently told the Sun that the rapid development issue is inherited from the previous government under BN's Gerakan led by Koh Tsu Koon.

These included 36 families affected by expansion plans for Heng Ee school and more than 40 families asked to move due to a housing project at Yew Kongsi. Over 50 families were evicted from behind the Perak Road market, 17 families from beside Sri Wonder centre, and 29 households in the Jalan Pokok Asam vicinity.

“In addition, 70 households will be affected by land acquisition for a road to link Jalan Tan Sri The Ewe Lim to the Jelutong Expressway, while compensation for another eight houses for a project at Jalan Madrasah has been resolved amicably,” he added.

In an immediate response, Jamek Mosque committee representative Yusof Noor apologised for any misunderstanding which has arisen out of the current situation.

Yusof, who is a municipal councillor, said he has contacted Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman to meet with the mosque committee and representatives from the affected villages.

Issue to be escalated

“We really lack information when the problem happened, so I am sorry if there was any confusion” he told the group.

“But since then, we have been speaking to all quarters to try and find the best solution for everyone,” he added.

Mujahid (in red, in photo), in responding to the villagers' grouses, explained that as a minority community in the state, they understandably feel marginalised but that this would be no different under an Umno government.

He was referring to Umno's attempts to capitalise on the situation for political mileage.

He however agreed with the group's demand to be relocated to the same area.

“We will tell the state and developer, you can do what you like, but we will remain on this land,” he vowed.

He promised to raise their issues to the CM and Pakatan Rakyat state representatives, which he said was a good channel to voice the villagers' plight.

“I will tell the state government to look into this issue seriously. Don't play a fool for this is my kampung too. I have relatives here and have lived and played here when I was young,” he said.

He also apologised for the party being perceived as not willing to help the Malay community, and condemned Malay language daily Utusan Malaysia for enforcing the wrong perception.

“This is not only a Malay problem as the papers make it out to be. The Chinese and Indians are involved too, because everyone is affected by the same (problem),” he added.

Kg Jalan Pokok Asam is one of many victims of Penang's development overdrive inherited from the BN which continue to dog Lim Guan Eng's administration, including the controversial Kg Buah Pala and the Tanjung Bungah issues.

'Hunted' Air Force man goes into hiding

The Air Force sargeant who faces charges of being involved in the 2007 theft of two jet engines has gone into hiding amidst claims that his former colleagues are trying to get a hold on him before his trial commences on Monday.

According to his lawyer N Surendran, several Air Force personnel - three men and one woman - turned up at the home of Tharmendran's parents in Seremban yesterday asking for Tharmendran (left) to “report to base”.

“The parents, however, said they do not know where their son is after he left their house recently to stay elsewhere,” Surendran told Malaysiakini.

Tharmendran is out on RM50,000 bail while facing charges of the theft - and abetment to theft - of two fighter jet engines from the Subang Air Force base in December 2007.

Given Tharmendran's allegations that he was tortured by military officials during his three-week detention to force him into confessing, Surendran said the Air Force must be “seriously disturbed and upset” about the revelations he made regarding the ordeal he had gone through.

“Why and what authority does the Air Force have to pick up a civilian?” asked the lawyer.

This is the second attempt, said Surendran (right), by certain parties to get him to return to the Air Force base in what the lawyer alleged was part of efforts “to influence what Tharmendran is going to say in court.”

On Wednesday, the lawyer had claimed that an Air Force official called Tharmendran on the phone demanding his return.

“But as Tharmendran told the Air Force official, his 21 years of service with the Air Force expired on May 28, 2010,” said Surendran.

“The Air Force itself has in effect recognised that his service with them has ended, as they did not pay his June and July wages,” Surendran added.

“I have written to the chief of Air Force, the Defence Ministry, and the chief of the Armed Forces, and emphasised that Tharmendran is now a civilian and that he shouldn't be disturbed by them.”

Their attempts to get a hold of Tharmendran is "tantamount to attempting to kidnap him", said Surendran further, as they have no legal authority over him since his tenure with them expired.

According to the lawyer, Tharmendran will appear in court to fight the charges.

Ku Li: General election date depends on Sarawak polls results

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — All eyes are on the upcoming Sarawak state elections as its outcome will determine when the next general elections will be held, according to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

The veteran politician believes that a convincing Barisan Nasional (BN) victory in the Sarawak state elections, slated to be held before July 2011, will hasten the 13th general elections to within the first few months of 2012.

But if the Sarawak BN state government fails to retain its two-thirds majority, or loses, the general elections will only be held in late 2012.

“If Sarawak BN does well, the next general elections will be held early in 2012. But if the results are unfavourable to BN, whereby it fails to regain a confident two-thirds majority in the state assembly or loses the state, then I think elections will be held late 2012,” Tengku Razaleigh told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview.

The Kelantan prince popularly known as Ku Li said that retaining Sarawak is crucial for BN because it would be the tipping point for the federal coalition’s hold on federal power.

“It really depends on the outcome of Sarawak. If the results goes against Barisan, we are done for. If the win is not in favour of BN, like retaining control in Sarawak (with a simple majority) then this will affect Sabah,” said the Gua Musang MP.

It is understood that Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud himself will be leading the charge come the state elections, despite repeated calls for the veteran politician to step down as head of the state government.

“Taib is going to stand again. He is going to lead Sarawak BN into the elections,” claimed the former Umno vice-president.

He said that the mood or sentiments on the ground was a signal that would determine the date of elections.

“You have to determine the date of elections based on the feelings of the people on the ground, or the economic climate of our country.

“Public reaction is the best yardstick, look at the results of the last few by-elections. Going by Hulu Selangor, BN was happy. They were shocked when the Sibu results came out,” said Tengku Razaleigh.

The former finance minister told The Malaysian Insider that DAP’s win in Sibu had forced BN to abandon their plans of having an early nationwide elections and Sarawak state elections simultaneously.

“I think they were planning to have the general elections simultaneously with Sarawak state elections if they had won Sibu. BN had indicated that having general elections together with Sarawak would be a better move.

“That was their game plan, when they lost Sibu, they decided not to proceed with the plan,” added Tengku Razaleigh.

DAP won the Sibu parliamentary seat recently in a surprise upset despite Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself going through extreme measures to ensure a BN victory.

Hisham: Absence a sign of disrespect

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Tun Hussein today described as a sign of disrespect the absence of four assemblymen at yesterday's Setiu Umno division delegates meeting in Terengganu opened by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. They should have attended the meeting even if there were internal problems, he told reporters after opening the Seputeh Umno division delegates meeting, here.

Muhyiddin had expressed disappointment over the absence of the assemblymen -- Ramlan Ali (Jabi), Abd Halim Jusoh (Permaisuri), Asha'ari Idris (Langkap) and Khazan Che Mat (Batu Rakit) -- at the meeting.

"This is not our way of doing things. We should respect the person opening the meeting, more so when it is (Umno deputy president) Muhyiddin Yassin. The division is more important than us," Hishammuddin said when asked to the comment on the absence of the assemblymen.

Hishammuddin, who is chairman of the Terengganu Umno liaison committee, said the four assemblymen would be advised accordingly.

"We will make them understand that the positions they hold came with the support of the people. Whatever their excuse, their absence has tarnished the image of Setiu Umno itself," he said.

-Bernama

Storm brewing beneath the surface

By Zainal Epi - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: On the surface, Umno is all calm and stable. But beneath the seeming tranquillity, discontent is simmering – and sending the jitters down the backbone of the Barisan Nasional.
With the next general election looming, Umno top leaders are worried that internal bickering would take a heavy toll on the party and render it weak. This is politically fatal, especially when the opposition front is seen as growing in strength and confidence.

The wind of discord is already blowing hard across Umno divisions, with many chiefs bearing the brunt of the blows from dissatisfied members.

Division committee members, for one, are angry because their rice bowls are getting empty. This is understandable since they are mostly small-time contractors and businessmen. They feel that contracts are not coming their way anymore and they blame the top Umno leaders in the government for not giving them much help.

Then there are factions in the party which are still practising the old patronage system, whereby the division heads would favour a select few among the committee members and would recommend them to the government for contracts.

After securing the contracts, the members would pay the delegates to vote for and retain their patrons (division chiefs). This has been in practice since the mid-1960s.

Crying quietly

The “parachuting” of federal leaders to head state liaison committees to solve party problems is not much of a help either as the internal rivalries still continue to boil, away from the glare of the media.

Terengganu is the best example where the rivalry between former menteri besar Idris Jusoh and the current Menteri Besar Ahmad Said still persists despite claims by liaison chief Hishammuddin Hussein that everything is fine.

The feud is expected to erupt in the open when Idris’ supporters may not be picked as candidates to contest in the coming general election.

It is a normal practice in Umno that the menteri besar draws up the list of the recommended candidates. Hence, Ahmad may not want to take onboard Idris' men, thus worsening the rupture. Come polls day, Terengganu Umno may not be united at all.

In Kedah, several division heads are “crying quietly” because they claim that liaison chief Shafie Apdal is not doing much to help them tackle several pressing matters faced by the members.

They claimed that Shafie did not meet them often to listen to their woes and this does not augur well for Kedah Umno. If the frustration goes unchecked, there is genuine fear that Umno may not get back the PAS-ruled state.

Formidable challenge

Meanwhile in Selangor, Umno is in quite a bad shape mainly caused by the “intense rivalry” between supporters of former menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and deputy liaison chief Noh Omar.

However, some division leaders said the situation could be controlled since Najib Tun Razak is the state's liaison chief.

“With Najib as the chief, members are a little shy in expressing their resentment openly,” said a division chief.

But the fear is that they may show their anger at the ballot box.

Umno may yet face another formidable challenge in the form of Perkasa. The powerful right-wing Malay group is attracting a lot of attention – and support – from Umno members who feel their party is no longer championing the cause of the Malays.

Some Umno members who are also in the Perkasa camp hope the Malay NGO will register itself as a political party so that Umno dissidents can have a new platform to fight for their rights.

Said a party member: “Most of us will not vote for PAS or PKR but if Perkasa becomes a political party, we may just cast our votes there.”

“At least, Perkasa still champions the Malay cause, which Umno seems to be abandoning,” he added.

It is a grim scenario. Top Umno leaders must come up with answers – and fast – if they do not want to see their party cast adrift and eventually sink in a storm of their own making.

Imam Behind Ground Zero Mosque Silent About Malaysian Government’s Pro-Jihad Statements

Evidence continues to mount showing that the developer of the proposed mega-mosque at Ground Zero, Abdul Faisal Rauf, is untrustworthy at best, and possibly downright dangerous. The project would be called Cordoba House, named for a Spanish city conquered by the Moors which Muslims regard as a model for other communities.
Rauf’s political/religious vision is intimately connected with Malaysia, where he lived for ten years as a youngster and where he now owns a home and bases his policy-making organization, the Cordoba Initiative, which also has an office in Manhattan. Malaysian officials have come out with statements that are virulently anti-American and anti-Semitic, including explicit calls for jihad and suicide bombing. Rauf claims that he intends to build bridges between the West and Muslims, yet he has never made any public statement objecting to such incitement.
Previously unpublished English translations of sermons from Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development reveal potentially lethal levels of hostility towards the West that appear to have gone unnoticed. The Department of Islamic Development cannot be dismissed as some renegade fringe group. It is an official and intrinsic part of the Malaysian government, similar in function to the Department of Health and Human Services in the United States. On its website, the Department defines itself thusly:  “Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) is a Malaysian Government institution which has a vision to assist in the creation of a progressive and morally upright ummah based on Islamic principles in line with the Malaysian vision through an efficient and effective Islamic Affairs Management organisation.” JAKIM is an acronym for Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia.
Every Friday, the Muslim holy day, sermons (khutbahs) are given in mosques. During Israel’s Cast Lead operation in January 2009, when Israel entered Gaza to stop being bombarded with rockets, the khutbahs of Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development became warlike.
On January 9, 2009, the khutbah denounced Israel as “evil” and a call was made to use the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to channel financial assistance to the Palestinians. A boycott was demanded of all goods and services connected with both Israel and America. Countries that are part of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and all other Muslims were urged to stop using the American dollar as currency.
(Click here for the link to a translation of the January 9, 2009 khutbah.)
On January 16, 2009, military plans were further consolidated. There was a call to “strengthen strategic planning in the defense system of Islamic countries” and to stop allowing foreign military bases to be built in Islamic countries on the grounds that they are used for spying.
(Click here for the link to a translation of the January 16, 2009, khutbah.)
On January 2, 2009, we have the most alarming khutbah of the three given here. The unnamed imam proclaimed his support for Hamas and Hezbollah, demanded a boycott of any goods associated with all Jews (not just Israelis), and called for jihad and suicide bombing, or “bind(ing) the stomach” in the manner of the “fatwa [of] Sheikh Yusof Al-Qaradawi.
By using the word “fatwa,“ the imam gives moral authority to his call for jihad and suicide bombing. Sheikh Qaradawi is a Muslim Brotherhood ideologue based in Qatar who has made himself very popular throughout the Muslim world by constantly calling for “martyrdom operations” against Israelis. Qaradawi even expresses admiration for Adolf Hitler and hopes that Jews will be “punished” with another Holocaust. He has stated: “Throughout history, Allah has imposed upon the [Jews] people who would punish them for their corruption.The last punishment was carried out by Hitler. By means of all the things he did to them — even though they exaggerated this issue — he managed to put them in their place. This was divine punishment for them. Allah willing, the next time will be at the hand of the believers.” (Translated by MEMRI).
What could be more hateful than to call for another Holocaust against Jews, assume that Jews deserved a Holocaust because they were guilty of something or other, and say that Jews “exaggerate” what was done to them, implying they are lying to manipulate public opinion? And what was “peacemaker” Rauf’s response? Nothing. He was silent.
Similarly, what was Rauf’s response to the khutbahs that called for a state of war against American interests?  Nothing.
It is very hard to conceive of Rauf not knowing about these pronouncements.  They were up on the JAKIM website, and as previously stated, JAKIM is an official department of the Malaysian government.
(Click here for the link to a translation of the January 2, 2009, khutbah.).
These khutbahs and others in the original Malay can be viewed here. [Acknowledgement is gratefully given to Kalvan Kam, a Malaysian native, who found these khutbahs and brought them to my attention.]
What does this mean for the United States? As a fairly stable constitutional monarchy, Malaysia appears to be considered a moderate Muslim country by the U.S. State Department, whose website claims that the two countries “share a diverse and expanding partnership” with “robust” economic ties. The United States is Malaysia’s largest trading partner and Malaysia is the sixteenth-largest trading partner of the U.S. The fact that Malaysia would even consider boycotting American goods, services, and currency shows that the level of rage is extraordinarily high and must be carefully monitored.
Our State Department’s website writes that it sees itself cooperating closely with Malaysia on security issues, including counterterrorism, of all things. The State Department claims that “the relationship between the U.S. and Malaysian militaries is strong with numerous exchanges, training, joint exercises, and visits.” In July 2006, a mutual legal assistance treaty was signed between the U.S. and Malaysia.
One has to wonder if our State Department is aware of rising levels of anti-American sentiment in Malaysia. Certainly Israel has had to wake up to that with the May 21, 2009, flotilla of thugs posing as humanitarians who tried to force their way into Gaza. The largest backer of that convoy was a Malaysian NGO called the Perdana Global Peace Organization (aka Perdana4Peace), an organization that purports to call for an end to all wars.
In a country where the government runs the Department of Religion, and has state-run television and radio stations (RTM TV1), it is hard to conceive of a true NGO — meaning a non-governmental organization. The Perdana Leadership Foundation is a state-run organization founded by a former prime minister. It was started in 2003, presumably when Mahathir left office. The name Perdana is taken from Mahathir’s official residence, Sri Perdana, where he lived from August 1983 to October 1999. The residence was later turned into a museum, also bearing his brand, Galeria Sri Perdana. Mahathir has been the honorary president of the Perdana Leadership Foundation since the organization’s inception.
Mahathir’s presence in Malaysia is inescapable, and with his larger-than-life personality, he made himself a notable figure on the world stage. In 2005, he founded the Perdana Global Peace Organization, dedicated to “criminalizing” war. Mahathir is the first signatory, followed immediately by Imam Abdul Faisal Rauf.

Mahathir Mohamad is posing as a peace maker?  He condemned the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. In a speech before a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 1997, Mahathir called the declaration an oppressive instrument imposed on Asians by the United States in order to change their “values.” Mahathir has made repeated sharp criticisms of the United States and has distinguished himself in the Muslim world as an anti-Semite. Some of his more notable remarks are:  “Jews rule the world by proxy and get others to fight and die for them. … Jews are not happy to see Muslims progress.  If it were Palestine, the Jews would rob Palestinians. Thus this is what they are doing to our country. … The expulsion of Jews from the Holy Land 2,000 years ago and the Nazi oppression of Jews have taught them nothing. If anything at all, it has transformed the Jews into the very monsters that they condemn so roundly in their propaganda material. They have been apt pupils of the late Dr. Goebbels.”
Ironically, the Perdana Global Peace Organization was the largest sponsor of the convoy of activists trying to breach Israel’s marine safety in May 2010, donating $366,000 to the Free Gaza Movement. And, as mentioned earlier, Rauf’s name is the second down from the top, directly preceding Mahathir’s signature.
During Mahathir’s twenty-two years as prime minister of Malaysia, from 1981 to 2003, and frequently thereafter, he has been outspoken in his anti-West and anti-Jewish views.  Rauf — as a peace maker — has had plenty of occasion to disagree with Mahathir, or at least to distance himself from Mahathir. This has not happened. Instead, when Mahathir went from talking to acting, putting into motion the convoy threatening Israel, Rauf apparently followed him.
Rauf has had a long and involved connection with Malaysia for decades. As a professed peace maker, a builder of bridges between Muslims and the West, Rauf has had countless opportunities to speak out against Malaysia’s belligerence towards the West, or at least, to be on the record as distancing himself from those attitudes and policies.
Rauf has not done so. One can only wonder, with alarm, about his true beliefs and what his hidden agenda for the planned Cordoba House mosque and community center at Ground Zero might be.
Madeline Brooks is a New York City resident and counter-jihad activist and writer.

Kids on the streets: Where are their parents?

The New Straits Times
by Badrolhisham Bidin and G. Shanti

Several hundred teenagers are living in abandoned buildings in Kuala Lumpur. They roam the streets, robbing and prostituting themselves to survive. One couple even made a sex tape for sale. Shockingly, the parents of some of these kids know what they are doing.

THEY are unwanted, neglected and shunned by their parents and society.

These teenagers, aged between 14 and 18 and numbering several hundred, live on the streets, exposing themselves to the underground activities thriving in the hidden parts of this city.

Many of them get addicted to drugs, mainly "ice", and "survive" by robbing illegal immigrants and prostituting themselves, the boys included.

The New Sunday Times team, who staked out several areas over a few days, found the youngsters sleeping in abandoned buildings in several parts of the city.

"When we are sleepy, we don't care about the surroundings," said one of them.

Most of the time, they can be found wandering around in specific parts of the city centre.

Some become jaga kereta boys, and would not hesitate to scratch cars if their owners refuse to pay them a ringgit or two.

The bolder ones peddle drugs, earning enough to buy them lunch or dinner, sometimes at fast food outlets.

At least one teenage couple had their sexual act recorded and sold in DVD format. They did it willingly, to survive.

The sight of the authorities would send them scurrying to their hideouts.

They would use the toilets in cybercafes and fast food outlets to clean themselves. The adults among the homeless would keep an eye on these kids.

A Scottish woman chanced upon them while searching for a dining outlet with her husband.

Jill McWilliams, who has two children of her own, took pity on them and over two years has discovered hundreds of them.

Some of them were relocated to several safehouses but the numbers keep increasing, some apparently dropped off by the roadside by parents who cannot cope with them.

"The authorities are not helping. Instead, they asked why am I doing all this," she said.

The girls are drawn into prostitution when they cannot survive in the concrete jungle.

One of them is pregnant with her third child and she is only 17. Her boyfriend has been in and out of prison but would look for her whenever he is released. Her mother, a clinic assistant, knows what she is doing in the city. The girl is now staying in a budget hotel, courtesy of the McWilliams.

Another girl, who was an international school student, ended up on the street after being physically abused by her drug addict father.

The 17-year-old is being taken care of by her boyfriend, who also acts as her pimp.

She admits that she has never gone for a medical check-up and, therefore, does not know whether she has sexually-transmitted diseases. She would charge her customers, mostly foreigners, between RM150 and RM300 per session.

The couple is currently staying in one of the abandoned buildings in the heart of the city. Checks at these abandoned buildings revealed several cans of glue lying around. This is a tell-tale sign that the building is "occupied".

These kids don't normally hang out together in a big group as this would attract the attention of the authorities. Instead they scatter and blend into the crowd. Despite their condition, they are well clothed, courtesy of donors.

"Sometimes, new clothes would result in fights and many times, mine were stolen but life goes on. If my shirt is stolen, I would steal someone else's," said a 15-year-old boy.

Terrorist recruiting students held under ISA

The Star
by LOURDES CHARLES

KUALA LUMPUR: One of the country’s most wanted terror suspects who is allegedly involved in recruiting university students for Jemaah Islamiah (JI) has been detained under the Internal Security Act.

Mohamad Fadzullah Abbul Razak, who graduated from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in Skudai, Johor, in 2005, was arrested by police officers from the Special Task Force (Operations and Counter Terrorism) Department on Thursday.

It is learnt that the 28-year-old engineer, whom the task force had been hunting since 2007, had just returned from Thailand when he was arrested by the officers at a house in Keramat here.

Sources said the man had allegedly been recruiting undergraduates from UTM as well as other institutions of higher learning into JI and had even sent several of them to participate in “holy wars.”

According to them, intelligence reports showed one of his recruits was a 17-year-old student.

The Task Force’s director, Commissioner Datuk Mohamed Fuzi Harun, confirmed the arrest but declined to elaborate.

Last January, his department arrested 10 students for alleged involvement in terrorism activities.

Investigations revealed that certain people had infiltrated institutions of higher learning and universities to recruit students to participate in “holy wars” in the region.

The students, most of them foreigners, have since been deported as investigations showed they were planning to blow up some non-Muslim places of worship in Selangor and in Penang.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had said then police would continue to monitor the activities of certain individuals suspected of being involved in such activities.

He had also instructed his officers to meet with universities and institutions of higher learning to brief them on the latest incident where undergraduates had been targeted by certain terror groups.

Khir Toyo’s ‘mahligai’: Status of MACC probe

The MACC probe of Khir Toyo is ongoing.
“The MACC has to carry out a thorough, detailed and comprehensive investigation into any corruption investigation to obtain adequate proof and explanation even though it might take a long time to complete,” said Nazri in response to a query from Nga Kor Ming.
Nazri added that the investigation paper would be put forward to the DPP once investigations were complete.
“The MACC hopes that YB Taiping will be patient and wait for the outcome of the ongoing investigation,” Nazri said.
Taiping MP Nga had raised an oral question in Parliament on 10 June asking what action had been taken in response to a report with the MACC on the former Selangor MB including the construction of his ‘mahligai‘ (palatial residence) in Shah Alam. He had also inquired into the current status of the probe.